The stakes winners Roaring Lion and Crossed Baton give trainer John Gosden the two leading choices in early betting for Thursday’s Group 2 Dante Stakes at York Racecourse in England, a key prep for the English Derby at Epsom Downs on June 2. Crossed Baton was the 9-2 second choice in early betting for the Dante on Thursday, but is coming off an important win in the minor Blue Riband Trial at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Epsom on April 25. The English Derby is run at 1 1/2 miles. The Dante Stakes is run at 1 5/16 miles and drew a field of nine. Roaring Lion, who will be ridden by Oisin Murphy, was fifth in the Group 1 English 2000 Guineas on May 6 behind Saxon Warrior, the future-book favorite for the English Derby. Roaring Lion was beaten 2 1/2 lengths in that one-mile race and closed from the back of a field of 14. As of Tuesday, Roaring Lion was the 2-1 favorite for the Dante. Last fall, Roaring Lion won the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at a mile for colts and geldings at Newmarket Racecourse. The Dante Stakes will be his seventh start for owner Qatar Racing and first beyond a mile. By Kitten’s Joy, Roaring Lion was bred in Kentucky and was purchased for $160,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Crossed Baton, owned by Juddmonte Farms, has won 3 of 4 starts, including a race at 1 1/4 miles on the all-weather synthetic surface at Kempton Park on March 31 in his 2018 debut. The Dante Stakes, with its $222,750 purse, will be a class test for the promising colt Mildenberger, who won the minor Feilden Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Newmarket on April 17 in his first start of 2018. Trained by Mark Johnston, Mildenberger has won 4 of 6 starts, including a minor stakes at a mile at Salisbury Racecourse last August. Trainer Aidan O’Brien has two runners – the outsiders James Cook and Zabriskie, who were fourth and sixth behind Crossed Baton at Epsom in their first starts this year.